Chaim Bloom season wrap up press conference

Not a ton of specifics but a few things seemed interesting:

Jesus Baez will get a lot more reps at 3B in the future. No surprise there, but good to hear it said.

Raniel Rodriguez is going to have opportunities at other positions potentially. Nothing specific committed, but Chaim was clear there were options for him to move around and not options for Crooks to move around.

It was clear they weren’t going to skip steps with players unless there was a really good reason to do so.

Chaim appears to be very pleased with Marmol and how he kept development the focus.

While Chaim didn’t want to take anything off the table, it sounds like in general, they don’t expect a lot of personnel changes amongst players or staff.

Chaim talked about the opening at 3B and how he’d like to upgrade there. Sounds to me like they will move on from Gorman. It remains to be seen if anyone gets brought on.

Chaim named off very few players at the ML level specifically. He talked about Leahy and Liberatore some. Just a little bit about Herrera, Burleson, Hjerpe, and Walker. Named a couple of others like O’Brien, but nothing really said.

It sounds like he doesn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up for next year.

I know that system development continues to be the objective, but I hope that 26 games behind is not going to be considered an acceptable result next year.

He can stop MIL from winning 103 games if the team he’s piecing together can do a little better than 2-11 against them. I realize the Brewers are a good team, but 2-11 is more than a bit humiliating.

It is hard to read much into these press conferences. They aren’t designed to give out too many organizational secrets but there are some facets of this roster that are glaring.

We have way too many C-1B-DH types. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Herrera dealt.

I also don’t think our starting 3B on opening day 2027 is currently in the organiztion. The logical thing to do would bring in a veteran stopgap until Baez is ready.

I think 2027 will be more of the same. Continue to make winning a team effort with a sort of ‘one for all, all for one’ way of playing. Give promising prospects a chance to show what they’ve got without rushing them and scaring them by demanding too much, too fast. Allowing coaches and trainers to give players the guidance that they need. Keep bringing talent into the organization.

It’s kind of hard to describe because it is a philosophical thing. It’s more humane than just bellying up to the bar with a handful of cash like the Cubs did in putting together a team by spending 256M$. In a sense they are re-imagining how a baseball team is built and developed. I think the Brewers are pretty much doing this now. The Cardinals are doing it but their own way. If you like what’s going on, give Bloom credit. And give WDWJr credit, too. He hired Bloom.

That’s just how I see it.

If the Cards had split, Milwaukee would only be a 98-win team!

And the Cardinals would be 82-82.

Thank you.

ZTR – my assumptions are similar to yours except I don’t believe Herrera gets traded. I think they’d be selling low now vs selling high a year ago.

My guess is Gorman, Stanek, and Bruihl are released and everyone else returns. I’m less sure on Bruihl than the other two. Prieto stays on the roster until someone forces him off. I think they’ll sign 2 veteran bullpen arms and try to find a stopgap third baseman if one is available. They might trade away Crooks if they can find a great fit for him, but probably won’t find one. Otherwise, I think they will run it back. The main difference now is that they will have some strong pitching reinforcements on the horizon. Last season, it was more on the position player side (Wetherholt, Baez, Bernal, Jordan and Saggese). Now, it will be Hjerpe, Cijntje, Fitts, Molina, Henderson, Santana, Doyle, Franklin, Eagan, and Fajardo. Plus, they will hopefully have Jesus Baez and maybe Tai Peete, Josiah Ragsdale, or Chase Davis become ready to step up on the position side. I’m a fan on waiting until at least September for Raniel Rodriguez or Jack Gurevitch (probably Doyle too).

I have had that same thought Pugs. Matt Shaw would look good in a Cardinal uniform and would be our everyday 3B on opening day. The Cards and Cubs haven’t done a major trade since they did Durham for Sutter but I don’t see why they shouldn’t. Bloom just did a trade with the Brewers so why not the Cubs?

Everyone assumes that going outside the organization means signing an expensive free agent but trades are still allowed. I have been thinking about a trade for Ryan McMahon of the Yankees to keep 3B warm for Jesus Baez but I like the Matt Shaw idea even better. I don’t know if I would do Herrera for Shaw straight up but I might could be talked into that.

• This reply was modified 3 days, 4 hours ago by gscottar.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cubs gave Shaw a look at a corner OF spot with Suzuki and Happ both departing in free agency. He played 34 games in the OF (including a start at Center). I’d rather the Cardinals cash in some prospects and swing for a more established 3B like Paredes from Houston. Astros farm system is weak up and down and Jeremy Pena has the build of a shortstop likely to move to third. His defense at shortstop has also deteriorated, so sliding him over makes sense.

We have a lot of top 100 prospects.

Paredes is 8 years older than Shaw. Shaw’s prime strength is his exceptional defense at 3rd. To put Shaw in the outfield is almost like putting Masyn Winn out in left field. If we were an established veteran team on the cusp of vying for a title, then I may opt for Parades. As matters presently exist, give me Shaw over Parades.

• This reply was modified 3 days, 1 hour ago by PugsleyAddams.